Vancouver is the only major city on the continent that does NOT have a freeway through its centre. Result? It has developed into an urban planner’s dream with high population density and a quality of life that is the envy of many in leading cities around the world. Today’s review article examines the development of Vancouver over the last three decades and compares it to a comparably sized city, Hamilton, located west of Toronto which itself has sprawled in all directions thanks to its own freeway bisector, the 401.
The road not taken
Key Quotes:
“Vancouver's population density is almost twice that of Hamilton (and the density of the downtown is much greater: 35 000/km^2 for the West End)..there is one direction that is open to 'sprawl' development: to the south in Hamilton, and to the east along the Fraser Valley in Vancouver”
“Hamilton's economy was historically based on heavy manufacturing; the city has lost most of its large employers in the past three decades.. However, Vancouver has thrived with essentially no manufacturing (what little there was centred on False Creek and was essentially all gone by the 1970s)”
“in the early 1970s Vancouver made a fundamental choice that was to determine its future development. Vancouver refused to build a freeway system through the downtown core….the freeway would have been built in a massive 'ditch' below grade level, and its construction would have involved the wholesale demolition of (mostly poorer) neighbourhoods”
“The Vancouver model relies on a planning department that is largely independent of Council influence, and on the entire city staff (including the traffic department) being onside. This is contrary to the case in Hamilton where the progressive ideas of the planning department are often ignored or opposed by council or vetoed by the traffic department.. In addition, residents and developers tend to oppose any and all city planning decisions by appealing to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB)”
“the Vancouver model:
- Priority of the planning department within city administration: decisions are not overturned by other departments (emergency services, traffic).
- Independence from Council interference on operational decisions (council decides the priorities and strategy, planning staff implements).
- An interventionist and prescriptive approach to planning.
- Built-form control and mandatory mixed use.
- Prioritizing high density residential over commercial and office space downtown.
- Prioritizing pedestrians above all other transportation modes, with through traffic as the lowest priority.
- Flexible zoning allowing developers to gain increased height or density by providing public amenities (e.g. park space, view corridors or social housing)”
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